Eibar stun Sevilla
Vincenzo Montella’s decision to debut three players for Sevilla, with one eye perhaps on the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final v Leganes, came back to haunt him in spectacular fashion.
Just like his first game in charge against Betis, Eibar took the lead in the first minute, and similar to the derby, the Andalusians couldn’t stem the tide of goals.
Kike had opened the scoring for Los Armeros and Fabian Orellana had added a deserved second before Pablo Sarabia pulled one back from the spot.
Normal service was quickly resumed, and Ivan Ramis’ goal meant that Eibar went in at half time 3-1 up.
Orellana grabbed his second just after the hour as everything Montella tried didn’t work, including the introductions of Ever Banega, Luis Muriel and Jesus Navas.
In fact, it was the hosts who continued to surge forward, and their reward came via an 83rd-minute fifth from Anaitz Arbilla.
Leganes and Champions League opponents Manchester United will be licking their lips in anticipation.
Real fail… again!
Just when everyone had thought that Los Blancos had turned the corner after 11 goals in two La Liga games, up stepped Levante to put another nail in Zinedine Zidane’s coffin.
It was the hosts’ second comeback 2-2 draw in a row and this one felt like a win for a team that can’t buy three points at the moment.
Indeed, their last league victory came way back in mid-November against Las Palmas.
In truth, Levante should’ve been easy pickings for a revitalised Los Blancos side, but letting a lead slip twice hints at their problems.
It’s incredible to think that not six months ago, Real were being lauded as the best in the world and certainly the best Madrid side there had ever been, with five trophies won in a calendar year.
Statistically, they’re now one of the worst ever Madrid sides in history!
Sergio Ramos put Los Blancos into the lead on his return to the side, but in the latter stages of the first half, Emmanuel Boateng slid Levante level.
When Isco’s 81st-minute drive hit the back of the net and Cristiano Ronaldo was brought off as a result, it was game over as far as Zidane was concerned.
Yet, even before Giampaolo Pazzini sent the home fans wild with an 88th-minute equaliser, Marta missed an unbelievable chance inside the six-yard area.
If he wasn’t before, Zidane is definitely on borrowed time now.
#RMLiga | #Emirates
Abelardo continues his wizardry at Alaves
Not too long ago, Alaves were bottom of the table without a win and heading back to the Segunda Division in record time.
Step forward Abelardo Fernandez who has turned the club’s fortunes around in an instant.
Though the 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo was their first in three La Liga games, there’s been enough in the intervening matches (a 2-1 loss at Barca for example) to suggest that the Basques will be fine for the remainder of the campaign.
Confidence is back, where once there was none, and players are expressing themselves beautifully again. None more so that ex-Barca man, Munir El Haddadi.
The Moroccan scored his side’s second, an almost identical strike to Alfonso Pedraza’s opener in the fourth minute, but it was his inter-play and desire that shone through.
A never-say-die attitude was replicated by his team-mates, and it ensured that Iago Aspas’ 90th-minute strike was little more than a consolation.
Barca stay unbeaten despite downpour
If there’s one thing guaranteed to be a leveller, especially against a team that likes to play football on the ground, it’s a torrential downpour that leaves the pitch looking more like a swimming pool.
So it was at the RCDE Stadium as Espanyol hosted Barcelona, who didn’t start with Lionel Messi, for the third Catalan derby in 19 days.
Neither side could really get a foothold in the game as puddles began to form the longer it went on. That Andres Iniesta was still at his balletic best was incredible to watch.
With chances at a premium, it seemed as though this one would drift into oblivion. That was until Gerard Moreno’s superb diving header to open the scoring on 65. It forced Barca to come out and play, bypassing the central areas which by then had turned into a swamp, and it allowed the hosts to hit long balls over the top.
Unable to further their advantage, Gerard Pique, a player who had been mercilessly booed throughout, silenced the crowd with a header of his own that was too hot to handle for Diego Lopez.
Some mistimed challenges saw a few late scuffles, but under the circumstances, 1-1 was probably a fair result and both teams will be happy with a point.
Correa’s rocket settles touch encounter
If ever there was a goal worthy of winning this match, Angel Correa scored it just before the hour mark.
From Koke’s assist, Correa sent a bullet past Neto from fully 25 yards to send the Wanda Metropolitano crowd wild.
It was a special goal in a game which, to that point, had lots of huff and puff, and a lost tooth for Diego Godin, but precious little in the way of goalmouth incident.
Geoffrey Kondogbia was a colossus for Valencia in the opening 45, but Los Che needed their bite up front, not in midfield.
No shots on target despite 52 percent possession tells its own story.
Going into the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, Marcelino will be concerned at how ‘leggy’ his team are becoming, whilst Diego Simeone will feel that the nine points his team now are behind Barcelona, is a gap that can be bridged.
